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It appears someone on the Bud Light marketing team has shared our daydreams about emulating video game moments in real life. As you can see above, the difference between us is a substantial, dream-fueling marketing budget - according to Game Informer's take on a Chicago Tribune report, this life-sized Pac-Man maze was built in LA's Fashion District to be used in a 60-second Super Bowl commercial called "coin." In the ad, a man will reportedly find a message in a beer bottle that instructs him to go outside, where he will be given a giant coin for use toward a round of real life Pac-Man.

We've taken the liberty of mailing a revised script to Budweiser, in which the man graciously gives up his chance to sprint through a glowing, Ghost-plagued maze so that all of us can have a shot instead. The script also notes that we will all run the maze perfectly, thereby forcing Budweiser to build six-foot-tall Ms. Pac-Man-themed mazes in our backyards. For free.

Weird Al Yankovic has spent over 40 years skewering pop culture through song, and endearing himself to nerds of all stripes in the process. What, then, is next on his list of things to do? Pushing swag for Radio Shack, apparently. The Honorable Mr. Yankovic popped up in a new ad for the downtrodden gadget retailer with just a touch of Wonka insanity earlier this week, leading some reporter from Parks and Recreation through a veritable toyland of drones and, erm, batteries with a (pretty awful) song wafting through the air.

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adcommercialholidayradioshackshoppingweirdalweirdalyankovicThu, 13 Nov 2014 21:59:00 -050021|20993443http://www.joystiq.com/2014/11/12/more-mercedes-madness-in-new-live-action-mario-kart-ads/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Remember that wonderfully oddball Mercedez-Benz Japan commercial that accompanied the OMG GLA DLC Mario Kart 8 revelation? You know, the one with the hard-as-nails, real-life Mario climbing out of the GLA all super-cool before walking into a Goomba? No no, you didn't dream that, it really happened.

Well, ahead of Mario Kart 8's first major DLC pack later this week, Mercedes-Benz decided to double dash with another pair of live-action GLA commercials. This time, the insanity not only stars a muscly Mario, but similarly surreal versions of Luigi and Peach, too.

Head below the break to watch a princess hop and a plumber brother bop.
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Video game commercials tend to imagine us living and playing in an massive, lush living rooms that don't mesh with reality. Even with a sofa so long you can easily fit five people on it, Super Smash Bros. WIi U's eight-player mode means one unlucky beardy-dude still has to perch on the back in Nintendo's new commercial. Yet the indignity doesn't affect the airy, equally long grin plastered across his beardy-face.
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commercialnintendosuper-smash-bros-2014super-smash-bros-for-wii-uwii-uTue, 11 Nov 2014 06:30:00 -050011|20991751http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/world-of-warcraft-commercials-are-raiding-your-tv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Massively&ncid=rss_semi
http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/world-of-warcraft-commercials-are-raiding-your-tv/http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/27/world-of-warcraft-commercials-are-raiding-your-tv/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Massively#commentsBlizzard is ramping up its Warlords of Draenor hype with a new series of World of Warcraftcommercials aimed squarely at television viewers. The brief clips -- Grommash Death Stare, Bond of Iron, Iron Horde, and Conquerors -- evoke more Lord of the Rings than the WoW we all know. No gameplay is shown, though there's a sliver of an in-game level-up animation for a human. Spoiler: lots of orcs!

WoW blog
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activisionblizzardblizzard-entertainmentcommercialdraenorexpansionfantasytrailertrailerstv-commercialvideovideoswarcraftwarlords-of-draenorwodworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 27 Oct 2014 10:00:00 -0400319|20984346http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/15/maddens-weird-ad-campaign-stars-kevin-hart-dave-franco/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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The start of the NFL season and launch of Madden NFL 15 is just around the corner, which means we're in the midst of the really weird part of the football offseason. Fans are desperate for anything new on Johnny Manziel and Madden players are clamoring for the last scraps of details for the game they'll be pouring hundreds of hours into.

That restlessness must have seeped into EA Sports' headquarters, as the publisher just kicked off an ad campaign that stars comedian Kevin Hart and "Neighbors" actor Dave Franco. The three-minute commercial features cameos from NFL players like 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and Broncos linebacker Von Miller, in which the players sputter "blah blah blah" for a good 15 seconds.

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adad-campaignBizarrecolin-kaepernickcommercialdave-francodez-bryantEAEA-Sportsea-tiburonElectronic-Artsfootballkevin-hartlesean-mccoymaddenmadden-15madden-nfl-15microsoftNFLplaystationps3ps4von-millerweirdxboxxbox-oneFri, 15 Aug 2014 11:00:00 -040011|20947611http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/23/japanese-mario-kart-8-ad-showcases-the-luigi-death-stare/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Is that a subtle Nintendo endorsement of the Luigi Death Stare? After the House of Mario's understated acknowledgment in its E3 presentation, a new Mario Kart 8 commercial in Japan seems to presents the plumber's ice-cold eyes with another knowing wink. Or is this just inadvertence layered over inadvertence?

The stretch goal for this particular occasion is the creation of a commercial for the Retaliator spaceship. "The symbol of the United Empire of Earth's power is the next ship to receive a slick commercial," the site posted on its stretch goals page. "Aegis Dynamics is in dire need of good publicity since the end of the of the Messer era. We currently have the Cutlass and the Constellation commercials in production and now the Retaliator will be added to that list."

So what epic stretch goal reward is in store for $49 million? If players hit that milestone, then the team will add a plant to the game. But it's a Xi'An space plant, so you know you're getting your million dollars' worth.

There's a bizarre charm to the mini dramas of Apple's commercials from the 1980s, and this Australian Macintosh clip is no exception. "The Manager" is fifty-seven seconds of corporate melodrama, like a soap opera you might experience on the AMC hit Mad Men. Our hero, known only as Frank, is cornered by his smarmy manager, who chides him for not going to a cocktail hour the previous night.

Little does Frank's manager know that Frank was up all night working on a presentation using his Macintosh. Frank's manager doesn't know what hit him. If only such teetotaling solutions worked at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

Google's run plenty of ads on UK TV over the years, but its next campaign is set to break new ground for the company and for British TV. AdAge reports that the search giant has teamed up with the UK's Channel 4 for the first live music performance across a full ad break on UK television. On Friday night around 22:45 local time, singer Sam Smith will belt out his current single Stay With Me live from London's iconic Roundhouse venue. Beyond Smith getting some priceless promotion for his album, Google's using the spot to plug its Play Music download and streaming services. It's on this very store that Google will host the live performance and exclusive tracks shortly after the ad airs. And, if you're not a Smith fan, well at least it's three-and-a-half minutes you didn't have to watch tacky ads for things you don't need.

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There's something very 1990s - albeit spruced-up - about the new real-life commercials for Mario Kart 8. I'd say it works, too. 90s game ads were big, bold, ridiculous and above all fun, and hopefully that's what the Nintendo racer proves to be when it hits Wii U on May 30.

Also, look at that spiny little nightmare shattering into tiny little pieces, thanks to the super horn. How good is that? While you're basking in the glory of blue shell death, head past the break for a few more ads including a couple of Mario Kart classics from down the years.

Samsung's track record on smartwatch marketing has been, shall we say, mixed. Its nostalgic sci-fi TV spot for the Galaxy Gear was a hit, but its awkward (and slightly creepy) romantic skier ad? Not so much. Give credit to the company for learning quickly, though, as its newly released TV commercial for the Gear Fit (shown below) mostly hits the right notes. The 30-second clip sticks to showing real-world use cases, such as tracking fitness data while running and turning down phone calls. It's still a bit silly -- really, who wears a smartwatch over a fancy bracelet? -- but it does make a good case for intelligent wristwear.

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adadvertisingcommercialfitnessgearfitmarketingmobilepostcrosssamsungtelevisiontvvideowearableMon, 14 Apr 2014 17:47:00 -040021|20868959http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/13/party-with-japans-new-tv-spot-for-next-weeks-ps4-launch/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Of all the world's many TV spots for the new consoles, we want to be in Japan's latest for the PS4. It barely shows off the games, and it's oddly preoccupied with the DualShock 4, but it just looks like fun - and everyone seems really happy to see us!

While the PS4 has been out in North America and Europe for nearly three months, Japan has to wait just a bit longer to get its launch party started on February 22. Admission is priced at 39,980 yen, which converts to $392.

Now that Dell is once again a private company, it's trying to shake off its reputation as a member of the status quo. Appropriately, the PC builder just unveiled a new TV ad that suggests it has all the energy and vision of a technology startup. The minute-long spot connects Dell's mindset to that of companies like Dropbox, Gilt and Skype, which started out in modest places but went on to accomplish great things. We're hopeful that the ad reflects fresh thinking in Round Rock's offices, but actions will speak louder than words -- it's hard to believe that a tech giant can be as nimble and innovative as a tiny outfit with something to prove.

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adadvertisementcommercialhdpostcrossjapanplaystation4ps4sonyvideoTue, 31 Dec 2013 15:01:00 -050021|20798385http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/11/xbox-one-his-and-hers-ad-is-disruptive-cute/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Microsoft's Xbox One hardware teaser wasn't the only video for the new console that it unveiled this morning. It also published a brief "His and Hers" ad in which a lady named Jennifer uses Kinect voice commands to begin playing Dead Rising 3 while her boyfriend is watching a soccer match.

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adCapcomcommercialcoupledead-rising-3kinectmicrosoftsoccerxboxxbox-oneMon, 11 Nov 2013 18:00:00 -050011|20765847http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/25/titans-footballers-and-vulcans-invite-you-to-an-xbox-one-commer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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We've got weeks now, rather than months, until the next-gen systems. The marketing campaigns are definitely kicking into gear. Not to be outdone by the PS4's Perfect Day, Microsoft put out a new Xbox One commercial that boasts the real not-Nimoy Spock, Premier League and England footballer Steven Gerrard, a Titan that doesn't know how to use doors, and all manner of CGI wizardry. And some game footage too!

Looking at it, we're dangerously close to the realm of days rather than weeks. Microsoft's next-gen console launches in 13 worldwide markets four weeks from today - November 22 to be specific - priced $500 in North America, €500 in Europe, and £430 in the UK.

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commercialmicrosoftxbox-oneFri, 25 Oct 2013 09:00:00 -040011|20753899http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/15/playstation-4-commercial-chronicles-a-perfect-day/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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Remember those early, ever-so-artistic PlayStation 3 ads? You know, the crazy cackling baby, this is living, all that stuff? Well, this PlayStation 4 commercial isn't quite as subtle, but it works a treat all the same

In case you missed it, the disclaimer during the Driveclub-esque portion says, "Professional drivers on closed course. Do not attempt. Enhanced with visual effects." We'll take that to mean slicing axes into torsos and shooting everything to smithereens is totally fine, so we're off to do a bit of that.

Or maybe we'll wait for the PS4 to arrive on November 15 in North America, and November 29 in Europe, priced $399/£349/€399

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advertcommercialplaystationps4Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:30:00 -040011|20745411http://www.joystiq.com/2013/10/04/take-a-break-and-watch-penguins-dance-with-the-new-vita/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Joystiq&ncid=rss_semi
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If you can't spare 15 seconds to watch some technicolored penguins dance around with the new Vita-2000, you need to seriously think about the direction your life has gone in. Look at their little beaky faces.

Judging from the reader comments when we initially reported on Commercial Break's beta launch, a lot of people wanted to see an Android version and more functionality for sports. Well, the devs appear to be listening. With the app's new "Live Events" feature, you can follow multiple upcoming live broadcasts (ballgames or otherwise) and get push notifications before they start and when they return from an ad-break. The app is now available at Google Play, and both it and the iOS version support a majority of (not blacked-out) nationally televised pro and college football games, as well as the upcoming MLB playoffs. Could the app use any more improvements? Speak up and speak often -- it won't be in vain.

As surely as there will be another round of tradeshows this fall and winter, companies like Samsung will be there with bigger and better tech to show off, which consists of new 4K displays this time around. At IFA 2013, Samsung plans to show off this 98-inch commercial Ultra HD "video wall", as well as a 31.5-inch Ultra HD monitor. Samsung unveiled its 85-inch UHDTV at CES earlier this year it promised sizes would grow so we're not surprised it's combining slim-bezeled versions to create this massive screen headed to storefronts near you. There's no picture yet for the 31.5-inch monitor and few details, but Samsung is ready to battle with competition from the likes of ASUS and Sharp with detailed color calibration adjustments and support for 99 percent of Adobe's RGB space.

When we're raiding the fridge during a Vikings game, what'd be nice is a push notification just before Adrian Peterson runs into the end zone. Seeing as that's probably not feasible given current tech, we'll settle for an iOS app that alerts us when a timeout or commercial is over. Commercial Break was designed to do just that: you tell it what channel you're watching and it uses DSP and some algorithms to analyze audio and video cues, delivering a push notification to your mobile device once what you were watching comes back.

As of right now, it's in public beta with 10 compatible channels in New York City: ABC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, NBC, TNT, TBS and USA. Outside of the Big Apple, CNN, ESPN and ESPN2 are compatible nationwide, with a few of these channels also available to others along the East Coast. The developers said that once the test run is over, they plan to expand to other markets and port the app to Android. We just wish it worked with AMC too -- missing any of Heisenberg's return because of a fried chicken craving would be tragic.

Well before we became acquainted with dancing silhouettes and laughed along with the iconic "Get a Mac" ads, Apple's commercials were quintessentially 80s.

Thankfully, the YouTube channel EveryAppleAds lives up to its name and over the past week has released a slew of previously forgotten Apple commercials from the 1980s that you've either forgotten about or, most likely, never even knew existed.

It's funny looking back at these commercials not just because they're extremely funny and cheezy, but because they also take us back to a time when people actually had to be convinced that they needed a computer in the first place.

Here's a sampling:

This 1987 commercial called "Power Lunch" is laughably bad to the extent that the commercial itself has a lot of background noise. So it goes in the world of power lunching. I'm no Don Draper, which is to say I'm not an ad man, but muffling the name of the product at the end of the commercial doesn't seem like the wisest of choices.

Here's an old Apple IIc ad dubbed "Frog." Yes, it's exactly what it purports to be.

We've commented before on how HTC always seems to come in second to Samsung -- not because it has inferior hardware, but because its marketing budget is comparable to what's fallen between the cushions of Sammy's sofa. We might have seen the start of a new strategy from HTC, however, as the company appears to have collaborated with Funny or Die on a comedic promo for the HTC One. It surfaced at the end of last week, but seems to have since been removed from the site. (It's possible HTC deliberately pulled it for some reason, and we've reached out for comment.) In the meantime, copies have found their way onto YouTube, and AdAge reports it'll start showing up on some websites today, and in a bunch of movie theaters from April 26th. A spoof of The Bachelorette, hosted by James Van Der Beek Dawson Leery, the clip depicts the leading lady deciding on her next handset, with the One winning out against feature-lacking peers -- or rather, people dressed in phone costumes. HTC even go as far as coining a bold tagline for the flagship: it's "everything your phone isn't." Whether it's actually funny is up to you, so check out the full skit below.

We may still not have exact launch dates for the Galaxy S4 on all carriers, but the launch is approaching -- and with it, Samsung's latest big ad campaign. From the looks of the first few TV spots, the company is staying away from any shots at its rivals or celebrity appearances (at least for now), focusing instead on some of the new features of the smartphone; Sound Shot, Group Play and S Translator all get their own 30 second ads, while another minute-long commercial (appearing in at least in the UK) offers a more general and suitably dramatic overview of the phone. There's no word yet on exactly how big a push Samsung will be making with the new ad campaign, but it's pretty safe to bet you'll be seeing lots of these in the months ahead.

Update: Samsung's also put up an infographics about the highlights of the S4. Good timing!